tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3929863478919384652.post6796362839855427223..comments2011-11-06T10:54:34.252-08:00Comments on frenetic thoughts: Octooooooooooober!halighalighaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16828878475288566796noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3929863478919384652.post-25999481306203348522011-10-15T20:12:10.641-07:002011-10-15T20:12:10.641-07:00What a fun (and full) week, Stephanie! You had a ...What a fun (and full) week, Stephanie! You had a interesting mix of required visits (MATH!), ESL students, and E101. First up: required visits... So, yes--required visits can be tricky, and many people (including our super sweet Kelsey) find them to be frustrating. I was never required to visit the Writing Center as an undergrad, but I suppose if I had been, I probably would have rolled my eyes and sighed at the thought of yet another to-do item on my already bursting list. I think it&#39;s not unreasonable for students to enter our door skeptical and perhaps a bit meh about the prospect. BUT, I also don&#39;t think it&#39;s unreasonable for them to leave with a completely changed attitude about the Center (and I believe that our wicked-awesome Halloween decorations do most of that work!). <br /><br />Next: ESL student who grammar edits and then ditches. Well, you certainly have a solid game plan in place for your next encounter, and it ought to do the trick. One of the fun parts of the gig is getting the opportunity to try all kinds of strategies (and sometimes they work, and sometimes they don&#39;t). <br /><br />And: MLA student. You are totally right: whatever most students say can mean just about anything. It&#39;s pretty amazing really! It helps to take everything with a grain of salt. (Especially those required students who say that they really don&#39;t NEED to be at the Center--they&#39;re the ones who typically need us the most!) And, her reaction to the Center is quite typical. Many students seem to expect something awful, something sterile, something more critical. As we&#39;ve said before, the first few seconds after a student enters the Center are absolutely critical in erasing those negative expectations.<br /><br />I hope next week brings more fun adventures!<br /><br />Oh, and YAY for lobster cat! Squeeeal!<br /><br />MelissaMelissa Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04903965610134271323noreply@blogger.com